I am due with our fourth child on Oct. 25th, and we are going to do a home birth this time around. My question or curiosity is methods on handling the contractions smoothly. I know its not as easy as I have witnessed or easy in general, I just wanted some feedback on what worked and didn't seem to work. I am open to water birthing, as my midwife has offered that, but I seem to always be cold, so I don't know if the water would work/help. Any suggestions? Thanks, Betty

Warm water IS relaxing!! & it seems that relaxing helps progress labor too. If you have a tub w/ jets in it, they feel good blasting on your back.
Deep breaths, blow out slowly.

Hi Betty! Hope to see you posting more often. Yay for homebirthing! I'm due with my 2nd child in February and we are planning a homebirth. I had a homebirth with my older daughter, now almost 2 years old.

My husband and I took Bradley method classes and those were helpful. The warm water was also helpful. This time around, I think that I'm going to get a kiddie pool to labor in.

I delivered at the hospital b/c I was high risk, but natural birth on #1 and #2 (#3 was a c-section, no choice there.)

I had a focal point, a phrase I used to focus, and a wonderful husband and labor nurse. Of course, I had short labors so it was relatively easy for me. Some of my martial arts training came in, too... the breathing, and just knowing that pain is temporary.

Thanks, Eve, we could have been labor pain free, but no, you had to bite the apple! *shakes fist in air, sarcastically*

movement
thats a biggy for me
free movement
warm water
positive thoughts
prayer
focus
slow breathing
gutteral sounds

pick up a copy of Active Birth (someone pitch in here with the author again would ya?) if you don't already own it

will this be your first homebirth? sorry, reread :p
what were your other births like? hospital, birthing center? how were your labors?

reread again (it's one of those days, sorry hehe) Betty...you're betty...ashlee's friend? hi *waves* she's been hoping you'd make it over here

anywho...6 homebirths here

you can read my stories... http://mybirthstories.wordpress.com

my births have been short so theres not a lot of 'coping' going on, but there ya go anywho

One thing that really helped me (I had hospital births, so this was until I got an epi) was a super hot shower on my belly... the water hitting my belly "distracted" my belly from some of the pain I guess LOL. That and I would grip something hard and breathe steady... that is what I did mostly :) I wanted really hot water (105F) because I was sooooo cold from exhaustion LOL.... most women get overheated during labor I hear though so, whatever temp. works for you.

Janet Balaskas is the author of Active Birth :) Great book to read. I ditto everyone else, I think a lot of it is doing what your instincts tell you to do. If water sounds good, use water, if moving sounds good, move, if a certain positions sounds good, use it. I personally found that breathing through a contraction helped and focusing on the fact that it was temporary and was well worth the pain.

Good luck on your home birth, DH and I decided that our next would be a home birth and I can't wait!

A little back ground, sorry I should have mentioned that.....

My first was a C-Section I have placenta-previa so not really a choice.

My second was a vaginal delivery and my water broke at home around 3am, went to the hospital, not much pain just "tightening". Received pitocin and epidural around 11am and that is when the pain really started. Had her at 5:12pm. 15mins worth of pushing.

My third was a vaginal delivery also, started feeling contractions, much like before just "tighten" and left for the hospital around 2am, got the the hospital and they broke my water around 7:00am. 8:30am they gave me the epidural but I don't recall pitocin and she was was born at 10:09am. about 2-3 pushes

So my thought is I can handle this at home with GOD AS MY STRENGHT if before I had intervention I was doing fine. But I am scared I will "loose control" and freak out as well as freak out my daughters.

I know we have discussed this at least a dozen times but I don't know that I ever got to completely and accurately respond to this specific area of questioning (you know how a conversation goes with six kids in the background).;)
I personally think water for me would not do me any good. I just have to be comfortable and I don't think I'd be comfortable in the water. I guess also that I have had such good experiences in the past that I'm afraid to change anything.
Now you were here for G's birth.. what kind of stuff did you see me do during contrax? I think I just stopped and held my belly and used breathing. Then once things got really close and I went into the bedroom I just prayed through contractions, each one "Jesus, be my strength".
With Brooke's birth I did a lot of rocking on my knees and had Adam put pressure on my lower back during contrax.. that helped a lot. When he tried that during Lawsons birth it wasn't helpful though.. I didn't want him to do anything but stand beside me and hold my hand.
Like I said to you earlier though via im.. (I'll say it here for others) I think its really important to start praying now.. every time you think to through out the day. Just keep praying and faithfully beleiving that you can have an easy labor. Pray for the Lord to just take it all.. any pain or discomfort that comes with the labor.. just pray for Him to bear it for you.. be your strength!
I prayed through most of my pregnancy with G for a pain-free labor, but honestly not faithfully beleiving it was possible. I actually started praying closer to the end of my pregnancy for an "almost" pain-free labor.. my thought was if it was literally "pain-free" then how would I know I was in labor? lol Anyways.. you were witness to her birth.. it was something else, wasn't it? I think my prayers were answered there!:D

Definitely pray for that 'ideal' birth now. Pray so, understanding that your 'ideal' may not match up to His 'ideal'...but He already knows the desires of your heart, so just go ahead and voice them. Ask much of Him. It's ok. :)

I, too, worried about freaking out. Anxiety kicks in high gear those last few weeks. I prayed that He would take away the anxiety. I prayed for a short, quick, pain free birth.
He quickly took away my pre-labor anxiety. My birth was happening so quickly and painlessly, I was left confused. (I now know to pray for more clarity/less confusion hehe) Like Ashlee said..maybe 'almost pain free' would have been a better choice of words LOL But, it wasn't like I didn't feel a thing...it just didn't follow my usual pattern so I was confused and uncertain.

But I kept praying and trusting.

Pray in quiet. Pray outloud. Now and during labor. :)

Overall, just do what feels right. Listen to your body. Trust it. Trust Him.

You have been given some really good advice. I was just going to add, when reminding yourself that the pain is temporary, it really helps me to *not* think of it in terms of the big picture. What I mean is, focus on getting through shorter chunks of time. ie. "I can get through 3 more contractions, no problem" then refocus on some other goal afterwards. (another group of contactions, until a midwife checks your progress, etc.) For me, focusing on the "big picture" of labour is what kinda freaks me out and makes me think I can't do it on my own. When I focus on shorter lengths of time/short term goals, I do much better. HTH

yup, so true Kim
take it one contraction at a time
as it hits...nice deep breath in, get your head straight, slow and steadily blow it out...releasing that pain, visualize the pain leaving as you exhale

yep, another of those 'hokey' things I learned from my first birth..it works ;)

don't think about the ones to come..just think about where you are, that ONE...then let it go...relax and congratulate yourself for making it through that one, praise Him for getting you through that one

then start all over again with the next :)

I had both of my births in a hospital, and both were induced by rupturing the membrane and starting pitocin......my first, I was so uptight because I was vomitting everywhere, that I finally asked for an epidural and was able to relax enough to finish dilating.....but alas, after pusing for 2 hours, my child wouldn't come out....he was twisted up the wrong way and the doctor said that the way he was positioned, they couldn't use forceps or a vacuum extractor, so it was off to the OR for a C-section.....

My second birth was much different......I had a VBAC, and it was successful because of the nurse I had.......the best thing that I did for pain management was to roll around on a birthing ball......the ball really helps support your weight and you can easily roll into several different positions......because of the ball, I was able to have my second child without any pain medication......

I will admit I was scarred to death to go through the process without pain meds.....I had pushed for 2 hours with my first son and he wouldn't come out, and I knew that I couldn't do that with my second.......I prayed that God would help me be strong and be able to push the baby out and he really blessed us with an incredible birth......

It does hurt, but the pain of birth is different from any other pain that you will ever experience.....it is amazing that God gives us the strength to birth children.....I will be praying for you as you near your delivery that God will give you strength and peace of mind......

P.S. After the birth of my second son, I am actually looking forward to birthing a third child one day in the future......it is truly an empowering experience......

I just want to say a big THANK YOU! for all your advice and Prayers. All of them are very helpful and uplifting. I can really feel a peace about this already! I know it will be hard (labor), but I will just trust in the Lord and take it one contraction at a time. Thank You again for taking the time to answer. Betty